Hat blocking, flanging, and finishing apparatus



Jan; 12 192s.

A l;569,842 J. L. MoRAHAN HAT LocxzNG, 'LANGING, AND FINIsHrNo APPARATUS Filed llaxch 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. L. MORAHAN HAT BLOCKING,FLANGING, AND FINISHING APPARATUS Filed uarch 2, 1925 ashun-sheet z nasen# Hammam l2 1926. v J. L MORAHAN.

im! nnocxma, Func-,m6, un Huismus Armmus Filed latch 2., 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @IMI I Gtk: nur

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

JOSEPH L. MQRAHAN, or .Tacxsomivrrssrssrrer HAT BLOCTHNG, HANGING, AND Fmrsmne ArPARATUS.

Application filed March 2, 1925. SerialNo. 12,668.

'To @ZZ whom t vmay concern.'

lle it known that I, JOSEPH L. MORAHAN,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Yin use than those which have been heretofore proposed. l/Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the -descriptionproceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and oombinations `of `parts more fully and hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the acconipanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate like parts `in all the views;

`Figure V1, is a side elevational view of a complete apparatus ,constructedV in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale ofone ofthe blocking, Hanging and i illustrated in Fig. 2.

finishing vportions `of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a sandbag'or pressure member `which 1s employed 1n` connection with the apparatus; and,

Fig. 1- is an enlarged vertical sectional view through that portion of the machine Referring more particularly to the said drawings, the numeral indicates` any suit* able support such for example, the top of a table or bench, upon which is mounted by suitable legs 11, a steam drum 12 which may be supplied with steam through 1a pipe 13 from any suitable source, `not shown. The

said drum in turn supplies steam to a blocking. flanging and finishing device located at either end thereof `and since these devices are `duplicates of one another in substantially every respect, only one of them will be described in detail, the corresponding Y parts of the other device being designated by corresponding primed reference characters.

The bloclungyflanging and finishing portion of the apparatus comprises a suitable support or tripod 15 mounted upon the base or supporting memberlO upon the upper surface of which rests va hollow oval ring member 16. The said member, which may be composed of two parts 17 and 18, is shaped in Icross section substantially as shown yin Fig. L1- and steam from the drum .12 may be supplied thereto through the steam pipe 19 which is controlled by the valve 26 `as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and il. An outlet pipe 21having a control valve 22 leads from the opposite side of the member as is also clearly shown in the said figures. The member 18 1s further provided with a plurality of slits or openings 2 in its upper surface through which the steam may he directed against the brim of the hat as will appear more fully below.

The supporting member 10 is provided directly below the member 16 just described and in arial alignment with the center thereof with a `flanged bearing member 25 in which is slidably'and rotatably.mounted,

a hollow shaft 26 which carriesrigidly secured thereto `a worm `wheel 27 which is vadapted to engage and disengage a worm 28 mounted upon a horizontallyV disposed shaft 29, journalled in suitable `bearings 30 and adapted to be driven by a belt or chain 31 from any suitable source of power, not shown. Splined in the said hollow shaft 26 as by the key 32 is the stub shaft 3S which carries at its uppereud the laterally projecting finishing arm 311 `which is provided with the horizontally slidable angular projection 35 mounted upon suitable guides or pins 36 and normally pressed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. l1, by suitable springs 37. The members 311 and 35 are provided with cloth or felt pads 38 and 39 respectively which `are adapted to engage the surface of a hat, as will appear more fully below. These pads may, if desired, be provided with suitable means for heating the same, such for example. as an electric resistance coil supplied with current from wires passing upwardly through the hollow shaft 26 and stub shaft 33.

As abovestated, the shaft 26 is slidably` mounted in the bearing 25 and the lower extremity or cap 40 `of the said shaft is provided with a suitable latch or hook 41 adapted toengage a keeper 12 carried by the `bearing member l.25 whereby .the shaft may Cil be maintained in its raised position shown in Fig. 4l. On the other hand when it 1s desired to remove the hat from the machine7 upon disengagen'ient of the lateh member l-'l 'from said keeper, the shaft 26 and its associated parts ma y be dropped as indicated at the right hand of Fie'. l.

The numeral indicates generally, a heating and pressure member to be applied to the brim ot the hat whieh is here, shown as comprising;l an oval met-allie rino4 member 4G to whieh is secured as by the clampine rings 47, eirtgate'iiml grooves therein. a fabric bag' member i9 whieh is preferably tilled with 4granular matter 50. sueh 'tor ea:- amplej as sand. These members sto. are adapted to be heated by planing;v them upon the steam drum. as indicated at the right ot Fig. l. Suitable handlingr means is provided, sueh as the rope el, fastened to the bale 52 passingr through a sheave or pulley 58 carried by an upright arm 5ft.

For heating and moistening' the lrown oi the hat, there is provided a stean'i spray nozzle 55 Connected by a suitable swivel Connertion 5G to a` pipe 57, constitutingl a brani-h ot the pipe 19.

For driving the worm sha'lt Q9 ot the duplicate apparatus, a belt .ir Chain G may.; be provided, extending;- iirom the shatt iii), as is clearly shown in Fig. l.

In Cleaning1 blocking, Hanging` and linishin `e a hat, the procedure will be substantially as Jfollows:

A member 1G, of the proper size is first positioned upon the tripod l and a telt covering member 58 is placed thereon. see. Figi: 4l. The hat is next placed on a regular wooden bloel el the proper size, the sweat band being turned outwardly. ',l'he hat and bloeit are then inverted and placed within the oval member 1G as indieated in broken lines in Fija: d, and the steam turned on by means oi the valve. 20. The said steam will. of eourse. lill the interior ot the Hanging' member` 1,(5 and will escape therei'rom.l through the slits or openings. 23. thereby heatingr and softening` the brim oi: the hat. In the meantime, the spray nozzle has been swung' on its swivel connection to a position directly below the crown et the hat. as indicated at the rig-ht hand ot Fie'. l, and the steam issuing therefrom serves to heat and soften that portion ot the. hat. Then the steam treatment has been continued l'or a sutlieient period, the steam ma v be turned oil. the nozzle 55 swungr out ot the wav. whereupon the tinishinef arm is moved up into Contact with the hat crown as shown in Fie'. et, by manually sliding the hollow shaft Qt and its associated parts upwardly in the bearing l5 and engaging the ring! il with the keeper 42. This movement will brine; the worm wheel 27 into engagement with the teeth of the worm 28 and as power is new supplied to the shaft Q9 from the sou ree not shown, the shaft. 2G and the inishinz arm fill; together with the verti al extension, will be rotated to cause the said arm to smooth and shape the erown oi? the hat to the, wooden bloeit. After the said crown has been completely shaped, the power may be shut off and the linishinef arm dropped haelt to its initial position, whereupon the sand hat: member may be removed and the hat and supportinig bloehV taken `from the apparatus.

llhile one, :torni ot the invention has been illus rated and deseribed, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details o'i| eoimtruetion as well as the arrangement o' parts without deinrrtinar trom the spirit ol the invention. and therefore` I do not wish to l-e limited to the above diselosure except as maybe required by the claims.

llfhat I elaim is:

i. .in an apparatus ot the elass deseribed a hollow supportingl menlber adapted to rereive and support a hat with the brim restingr thereom said member being` provided with steam discharge openings: u'leans `for supplying' steam to the. crown ol. the hat: a vertically niovable shaft, provided with a linishiim; arm adapted to engage said crown, and to smooth and linish the same: a worm and means ior drivingr the same; and a worm 'wheel carried by said shai't. adapted to be moved into and out ot engagement with said worm.

tinishing meehanism for hats eomnisina an axially adjustable hollow shaft; a stub shaft splined within said hollow shalt; a radially extending finishing arm rigid with said stub shaft; a yieldable angular extension carried by said arm; and means lor rotating;l said hollow sha'lt.

ii. )i linishiner meehanism rl'or hats eomprisine anV axially adjustable hollow shalt; a. stub shait splined within said hollow shalit; a radially extendingr finishing arm rigid with said si uh shait; a yieldable amm lar extension carried by said arm: a worm and means for driving the same: and a worm wheel carried by said hollow sha'lt. adapted to be engaged and disengaged with said worm by axial movement of said shat't.

el. A [inishiner mechanism for hats eo|n prising an axially adjustable hollow sha lt; a

stub shai't splined within said hollow sha l't a radially attendingl finishing arm rigid with said stub shalft; a yieldahle angular extension earried by said arm: a spriim' intarposed between said arm and said hollow shaft; a worm and means for drivingr the same; a worm wheel earried by said hollow shait, adapted to be engaged and disengaged with said worin by axial movement ot said sha'lt; and means ior holding,r said hollow shaft in position with said worm wheel in engagement with said worm.

JOE L. MORAHAN.

itil) llt) 

